Answers on questions

Do you want the pots come to each other? A selection of terracotta pots of different shapes and sizes is a classic of the genre and not too dull. Now very cute terracotta pots with ornaments and interesting edges are available on the market. The same trick can be done with other color schemes. Well, if all the pots are white, then this compilation, in general, is fashionable now.

If You want to mix everything color – be careful (try to take into account the interior, or to remember the rule of “three colors is elegant”), but when You do itching it, stir without thinking in such matters to be half-hearted to anything. For example, once in Mexico I noticed that the tile and containers form a crazy mix of bright colors. If you want to be like the Hispanic, choose blue, yellow, orange and red glazed pots. For a more soothing effect, it is recommended to pick up the pots of one or two colors.

We select the plants to pots (or pots of plants):

A tall, narrow pot will look best with a plant that is tall and bushy. A small plant with rounded shapes in that pot would look ridiculous – like a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cup – their proportions are disproportionate. In addition, planting the plant in too big a pot for it is bad for the plant itself.

Flat pots with a high probability will look great with the same plants (see photo). These pots may be well combined with vertically growing plants, but here we need to be careful – often it is a death trap room.

And, in general, the best rule when choosing a pot: choose a pot with the same visual weight as the plant. The average plant is the average pot; a plant, elongated in width, wide pot, etc.

First, you have to make sure that plants are really filled. There is nothing complicated – check the ground. If it is wet through, you can be sure that someone did it only out of good intentions. The constant presence of water in the pan or pots badly affects the life of balcony plants. In turn, if the leaves are already turning yellow, then it is not late to take urgent action.

The first step is to pull the plant out of the water. This means: remove the planter so that the excess water accumulated in the ground may run out. Your further actions depend on the state of the corresponding plant. If you are unsure, it is better to replace fully the wet ground fresh and dry soil mix. Because the roots of the plants are already quite saturated with moisture, watering after planting is absolutely not appropriate. In the following days, watch how the plant is after transplantin

Yellow leaves, which will eventually fade, you can simply delete. During the transplant note on the roots of plants. Prolonged and excessive moisture of the soil, the roots can rot. You can see rotten ones immediately - they stratify if to grasp the spine with two fingers and pull, it slides skin - is it brown or dark gray, remains under the beam vessels wiry, hard rod. Finding rotten roots, you can cut them back to healthy tissue. Place slices preferably powdered charcoal or activated carbon.

Not to get into trouble, when all balcony plants on its share has received too much water, we have prepared for you some practical advice:

Flower pots must be with drainage holes so that excess water could easily leak.

It is better, of course, do not use leaky pots, which is constantly stagnate water. It is enough to put flowerpots in the trays. Sometime after watering, do not forget pour out the water from the sump.

Adjust watering balcony plants. There is no ready-made recipe for all occasions, as each plant needs its own requirements for water regime, so it would be nice to see with such requirements. Note that the frequency of watering depends on the location of the plants, the air temperature, the size and form of flower tableware, soil or mixture of the substrate and not in the least from the growth of the plant. The warmer and sunnier, the more water you need to plant.

Some growers, fearing to fill their plants, use the method of watering from the bottom by pouring water into the pan. However, you need to ensure that they are not in the water for longer than 30 minutes. Therefore, plants can take as much water as can absorb their roots. The remaining water in the pan should always be poured.

Some plants do not like that the water falling on their leaves, watered by immersion. You need to immerse the pot in a basin of water up to the top edge, but without the flowing fluid over the edge and leave so as long as the soil is not saturated with moisture and the surface of the water there will be no air bubbles. After that, put the pot in a pan or on the grill, allowing the excess water to drain fully.

To avoid pouring plants, do not forget to make a drainage layer of large clay pebbles, pebbles or broken bricks, on which sprinkle a layer of soil during their planting on the bottom of the pot. The drainage helps avoid stagnant water and improves air circulation.

Before leaving, choose all the plants in one place, for example, in the bathroom. Wash them under the shower and put in a bath filled with water on the width of the palm. Thus, plants are able to provide themselves with water for several days. But this will work only if the tub is closed tightly. If you want to be sure that drain plug does not pass water, put a plastic wrap at the bottom of the bath. To achieve maximum humidity, the plants need to be placed tightly next to each other. Do not forget that any, even the most shade-tolerant plants need natural sunlight, which cannot deliver bathroom without the window. Sometimes it is just enough to keep the door open.

Another opportunity to retain moisture colors during the holidays: fill a plastic bottle with water, close the lid, in which little holes are done with a needle. The bottle should be put into the pot upside down so that the lid is close to the roots. Thus, the plants will be fed with water up to two weeks. It is important to pay attention to the size of the bottle. For the balcony box with flowers with the length of one meter, it will be enough to place 500-750 ml on the sides of the bottles. Such a simple and often proposed method is suitable for watering plants in large pots. Some gardeners believe it is not always effective, as the water can quickly move from the bottle to the substrate, such that it will be very wet. If water runs out of the bottle quickly, turn it in the ground, so the holes are clogged a little, and the water will go slower. This method of watering is for more water-loving plants, in which the substrate should be slightly wet on hot days. As for other plant species, the risk of root rot may appear.

Make the simplest device for watering. For this, you will need any container with water, just above pots of flowers, and thick woolen yarn, through which water will flow into the substrate without any threat of waterlogging or drying out. The thickness of the thread depends on how much water is needed to a particular plant. Now, place the pots of flowers around the tank with water. One end of each is put in the water and recorded and the other is fixed in each flowerpot. The duration of hydration in this way up to two weeks. During anomalous heat, threads can quickly dry out, causing water in flower pots may stop. So try your design for a few days before departure to ensure its effectiveness.

Another way: put inside a laundry basket with wet towels and put the plants. Thus, balcony, potted plants and herbs can retain moisture during the week.

You can maintain the humidity of the soil in the pot using the damp moss that covers the top layer of soil. Moss is a good storage of moisture, which it passes gradually to the plant.

Plants in clay pots can be digged with pots in the ground. During Your absence, they will absorb moisture from the soil.

If You have a tub plants, move them into the shade. As they vapor much less water in the shadow. Such moisture-loving plants, campogrande, which when strong evaporation of water quickly dries up and loses weight substrate, have large leaves, breaking in the wind. Such plants must be fixed so strong gusts of wind do not knock over and break. For better stability, a tub of plants can be put round with stones or bound to a stretched wire.

There are many tricks that allow you to save soil moisture of plants when you are absent. But if You are going on vacation for a few weeks and want to be sure the plants that were left at home unattended, automatic systems for watering potted plants will help you. These ones can be purchased at specialty stores. The simplest automatic watering device, requiring no power supply or other power sources, is Blumat system manufactured in Austria. The principle of operation of Blumat is very simple: a tapered cone, the lower part of which is made of a special composition of clay, it responds to soil moisture and, if necessary, it gives the water. The clay is a moisture sensor in the soil. Ceramic cone is filled with water and tightly closed with the lid, then inserted into the soil so that the cone is fully in it. The hose is connected to Blumat, the other end of which is lowered into a container of water. Once the soil in the pot becomes dry, Blumat begins to pump water droplets. The amount of water supplied can be adjusted by placing a container of water at a certain level. If the pot is placed above the water tank, the amount of water supplied will be less. Such watering is ideal for plants that do not require large amounts of water. If a container of water is right in the pot (like in the picture), that is, at the same level of the plant, the water comes from a cone in moderate amount. If a container of water is placed above the plants, the water will be supplied in large quantities for water-loving plants.

Anyway, before leaving, all plants must be removed from the sun, watered largely and sprayed. You should not apply the fertilizer just before leaving, because when it is hot, plants consume more water, resulting in the leaves get a lot of salt. It is not bad if the plants constantly watered, but when it is not possible, plants will not be able to be enriched with nutrients, which may lead to a slight blight.

Shortly before leaving cut Your plants: cut flowers and buds from flowering plants to reduce water demand. Anyway, during the absence You will not be able to admire their beauty, and the plant prior to Your arrival will be able to form new buds.

If, despite all efforts, the plant has not received the required amount of water and dried during Your absence, often it will be enough to remove the dry leaves and keep the pot in a container of water until, until there will be no air bubbles. Then resuscitated plant should be put in a shaded area. After some days it will again emit vitality and energy.